Chicken posole verde recipe

chicken posole verde | pamela salzman

I decided to be more forward-thinking this year and post some new delicious Mexican recipes early in anticipation of Cinco de Mayo, which is one of my favorite food holidays.  Not that I don’t make Mexican, or Tex-Mex meals all year round, of course.  I know a lot of people who are planning celebrations the weekend before Cinco de Mayo and are already asking me what they should make.  I really don’t know too many people who don’t love Mexican food and it’s a great meal to make for a crowd, kids included.  If you haven’t noticed, DIY parties are all the rage and Mexican menus fit the bill perfectly with their topping bars for tacos, fajitas and soups.

I prefer to cook hominy from scratch

Speaking of soups, have you ever had posole, also spelled pozole?  I had never heard of it until about 5 years ago, when my husband came back from a lunch and was raving about the posole.  When anyone in my family comes home raving about anything, *BING*, note to self:   “learn how to make that from scratch!”

prepping tomatillos

Posole is is a traditional Mexican soup or stew, which once had ritual significance. It is made from hominy, plus meat, usually pork, but also chicken or turkey or pork rinds, chili peppers, and other seasonings and garnish such as cabbage, salsa and limes and/or lemons.  I have seen many recipes for posole, red or green, vegetarian or with meat, different seasonings, but there is always hominy.  Hominy is an interesting food.  It comes from dried field corn, also known as maize, not to be confused with sweet corn which you enjoy off the cob in the summer.  The corn is prepared by removing the skins after soaking them in the mineral lime (cal), which changes the flavor (for the better) and releases the niacin, making this slightly processed grain healthier than simple dried corn or cornmeal.  (I took this from the Rancho Gordo website.)  Not surprisingly, cooked hominy tastes like corn tortillas, but in a form of a chewy little nugget.  Quite tasty.

chili peppers

You can buy prepared hominy which I have only seen in cans (probably lined with BPA, sadly) or you can buy dried and cook it yourself, which is what I did when I taught this in my classes a few years ago and what I still do when I want to make posole.  It is an extra step for sure, so if you want this to be a really fast recipe and you don’t mind cans, by all means buy it prepared.  I have only seen dried hominy sold by Rancho Gordo, which is an exceptional source for dried beans, especially heirloom varieties, grains and spices.  Some retail stores sell Rancho Gordo products or you can purchase directly from their website.  But I know from some students that you might be able to find other brands of dried hominy in Latino markets or in the “ethnic foods” aisle of some supermarkets.

verde

When I decided to make posole for the first time, I took no timing wondering red or green.  I much prefer green (tomatillo-based), especially in the spring and summer, because it’s so much lighter and fresher than red (tomato-based.)  We all loved that first batch and I knew it would be great to teach in a class.  I especially love setting out a topping bar for posole because all those add-ins give such great texture, color and really turn this soup into a meal.  I love adding avocado, cabbage, radishes, cilantro and feta, which I think is a perfectly good, and more healthful sub for the more traditional Cotija cheese.  The kids like to add tortilla chips or strips, naturally.

chicken posole verde | pamela salzman

This soup reheats well and freezes well, too.  You can serve posole as a meal or with veggie quesadillas and/or Mexican chopped salad on the side.  If you want this to be vegetarian, just use veggie stock and drop the chicken.  Maybe add in a little quinoa or some sweet peas.  Stay tuned for more fantastic, healthful Mexican recipes to come in the next couple weeks!

chicken posole verde | pamela salzman

chicken posole verde | pamela salzman

 

Chicken Posole Verde

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 pound tomatillos husked, stemmed, washed and halved
  • 1 anaheim chili seeds discarded, quartered
  • 1 jalapeño seeds discarded, halved (leave seeds if you like it hot)
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • ¾ cup fresh cilantro divided
  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt divided
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 cups chicken stock preferably homemade
  • 3 ½ cups cooked hominy* or 1 29-ounce can drained and rinsed
  • Suggested garnishes: cubed avocado sliced radishes, shredded romaine or green cabbage, cilantro, Cotija or crumbled feta, and/or tortilla chips (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Combine onion and tomatillos in a medium saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook, covered until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
  • Transfer vegetables to a blender with the chilis, garlic, ½ cup cilantro and 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt and puree until smooth.
  • Season the chicken with oregano and 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Pour puree into the pan and lower heat to medium low. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the broth, hominy and chicken to the saucepan. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 10 minutes. Chop the remaining ¼ cup fresh cilantro and stir into the pot. Taste for seasoning.
  • Serve posole with suggested garnishes.

Notes

*To cook dry hominy, soak in lots of water 6 hours or overnight.  Drain and cook in a pot with fresh water.  Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, and cook for about 90 minutes to 2 hours or until tender.  Drain and it is now ready to use.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

 

Baked chicken with tomatoes, olives and capers recipe (variations for GF and vegan!)

 

baked chicken with tomatoes, olives and capers | pamela salzman

I just finished teaching this recipe in my March classes and it was a huge hit!  I don’t even like chicken and I seemed to always be looking for a bite at the end of class.  I had so many requests to post this recipe that I had to oblige, even though the images aren’t totally the best.  I think this would be perfectly appropriate to prepare for Passover, with one minor adjustment.  And it’s a great recipe to adapt as cherry tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes become available.

pepper the chicken before dredging

The recipe is basically a braise, but the chicken is cooked uncovered for most of the time, which is why I call it Baked Chicken, versus Braised Chicken.  But the formula is still very much the same — browning the meat first to create flavor and color, sauteing onions, deglazing, putting meat back in and baking in the oven until cooked through.  Once you understand the steps, you can start making up your own recipe or adapting recipes like this one with other ingredients or flavors.

dredge the chicken lightly with flour

I personally like using bone-in, skin-on pieces of chicken since I think they taste better and stay a little moister, especially breast pieces.  Unfortunately, cooking with bone-in, skin-on pieces takes longer than boneless, skinless and may not be a great option for those of you needing a really fast recipe for after work.  Fortunately, this recipe can be adapted for cutlets and even a slow cooker, so look for those options in the instructions.

olives, capers, thyme, jars of tomatoes

This dish produces very tender, flavorful chicken, as well as the accompanying onions and sauce.  In the ingredient list it offers the option of draining the juice from the jar of tomatoes or keeping it.  Here’s my thought process on that one:  if you will be serving the chicken with noodles or pasta, polenta, mashed potatoes or something that would welcome a lot of sauce, then you should keep the juice.  Otherwise, drain the juice and just use the tomato pieces.  I also love this dish during cherry tomato season, when I will use 1 1/2 pounds of  halved sweet cherry tomatoes in place of the jarred, and basil leaves instead of the thyme.  Large vine-ripened tomatoes that have been blanched and chopped are also great.  Both of these options create a much lighter, fresher dish.  But every variation is very delicious.

deglaze with wine and tomatoes

Other adaptations I discussed in class:

  • subbing fennel for half the onion
  • omitting the olives and adding chopped mushrooms with the onions
  • adding a healthy pinch of crushed red pepper flakes with the garlic
  • in the summer, subbing sliced sweet bell pepper for some of the onion
  • searing cauliflower steaks and using those in place of the chicken for a vegetarian/vegan option

add the olives capers and thyme

 

nestle chicken in the tomato mixture

I always use breasts when I teach because most of my students prefer white meat, and therefore it’s just easier for me to buy all breasts.  You can certainly use any part of the chicken you want.  In fact, it’s more economical to buy a whole chicken and have the butcher cut it into pieces for you.  But I highly recommend not buying 1 breast per person.  It’s too much meat to eat in one sitting, unless you are an Olympian or a body builder!  I have never actually seen anyone at my house or at a dinner party eat an entire breast.  I have seen people cut them in half and push one piece off to the side and just each one half.  What I love to do is prepare the breasts, allowing for 1/2 per person, and removing the bones after the chicken is cooked and has rested a bit.  Then I slice the meat on an angle.  It’s much more manageable to eat it this way, as well as more elegant and attractive to serve.  See this post on the gloves I use to get down and dirty when I carve chicken!

Let me know if you have specific questions about timing or with what sides to serve this.  Hope your holiday planning is going well!

baked chicken with tomatoes, olives and capers | pamela salzman

 

 

 
 
 

 
 
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A post shared by Pamela Salzman (@pamelasalzman)

Baked Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Capers

Pamela
5 from 4 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken pieces, sprinkled with 2 teaspoons kosher salt when you get home from the market unless you are using kosher chicken which you should not salt (read this post on how and why to season your chicken in advance)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Flour for dredging all-purpose, spelt, GF flour, etc. -- use matzoh cake meal for Passover
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 ½ medium onions cut through the root into sixths or eighths (or sliced thinly, but I like wedges better in this recipe)
  • 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 18- ounce jar diced tomatoes with the juice or drain juice for less sauce (I like Jovial in glass jars. Read this post why.)
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • ¼ cup chicken stock vegetable stock or more white wine
  • 6 fresh thyme sprigs or large basil leaves in the summer/fall
  • ½ cup pitted olives such as kalamata or Bella di Cerignola
  • 2 Tablespoons capers drained
  • chopped parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season with black pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off any excess.
  • In a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven, heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces in one layer and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
  • If the pan looks dry, add a little oil. If it looks like there’s more than 2 Tablespoons oil, drain a bit off. Add the onions, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and sea salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Add the tomatoes, white wine, stock and cook, scraping any brown bits on bottom of the pan.
  • Arrange the thyme, olives and capers over the onion mixture. Place the browned chicken pieces side by side on top. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven.
  • After 15 minutes, baste the chicken with the juices in the pot. Continue cooking, uncovered, for an additional 30-40 minutes (depending on thickness), basting every 10 minutes if you have time. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. (You can also cook covered on the stove over low heat for 30 minutes.)

Notes

For a boneless, skinless version, check out my recipe for Lemon –Thyme Chicken Cutlets and follow the same directions.
For a slow cooker version, use skinless chicken and  3 Tablespoons each of stock and wine instead of 4.  Follow same directions, but after deglazing, pour everything into the slow cooker and cook for 4-5 hours on HIGH or 6-8 on LOW.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

Chicken souvlaki with tzatziki recipe

Chicken Souvlaki | Pamela Salzman

I thought since I am vacationing in the Mediterranean with my family for three weeks, I would post some new recipes that complemented my travels.  When I return (if I ever return!), I will definitely write up my itinerary and any do’s and don’t’s which I learned that might be helpful for your planning purposes.

chicken souvlaki collage

If you’ve hung around this blog long enough, you’ve read that Mediterranean food is my favorite.  It’s my comfort zone.  It’s exactly the way I like to eat – fresh, seasonal, organic food, mostly veggies, legumes and whole grains, olive oil, more fish than meat, a little sheep or goat cheese and yogurt,.  Mediterranean cuisine is also considered to be among the most healthful in the world.  More importantly, I think the food is just downright delicious, but simple.  Of course in order for simple food to taste amazing, each ingredient has to be the best.

Tzatziki

This is where sometimes we have trouble duplicating something we’ve eaten, even if we have the exact recipe.  For example, there’s no secret Greek salad recipe.  I have made and eaten a lot of them in my life, some forgettable and some outstanding.  It just comes down to the ingredients that were used.

Kebabs on the grill

Chicken Souvlaki is an easy, light dinner I can pull together quickly and one that I know everyone will eat.  It’s basically a grilled, marinated chicken and veggie kabob, which I love to serve with a very tasty cucumber-yogurt sauce called Tzatziki.   My family likes to eat it with grilled pita bread (which is literally store-bought pita that I put on the grill just to get a few char marks) or garlic rice.  You can also serve the kabob over a Greek salad which would make for a great light summer dinner.

Chicken Souvlaki | Pamela Salzman

Check out my recent Instagram and facebook pictures from Greece and Turkey.  We will be finishing off our trip next week in Venice and then Lake Garda, so expect some Italian recipes soon!

Chicken Souvlaki | Pamela Salzman 

 

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki

Pamela
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
  • 3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice divided
  • 2 medium cloves of garlic finely grated, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 Tablespoons unrefined cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ¼ pounds boneless-skinless chicken breast halves cut into 2-inch cubes
  • 2 Persian cucumbers chopped or coarsely grated (personal preference)
  • 1 cup full fat Greek yogurt Straus makes a great organic one
  • ½ Tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint or dill optional
  • 8 small plum tomatoes halved (or large ones quartered)
  • ½ small red onion cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 6 whole-wheat pitas optional

Instructions
 

  • Whisk together lemon zest, 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 grated clove of garlic, oregano, thyme, 1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 45 minutes or refrigerated, covered, for up to 6 hours.
  • Meanwhile make the tzatziki sauce: Stir together the remaining lemon juice and garlic, the cucumber, yogurt, vinegar, herbs (if using) and ½ teaspoon salt. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.
  • Heat the grill to medium-high. Thread the chicken, tomatoes, and onion onto 6 skewers. Brush with remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, and season with pepper.
  • Grill skewers, turning, until browned on all sides and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Grill pitas until charred, about 2 minutes per side.
  • Serve skewers with charred pitas and tzatziki sauce.

Notes

*Not all skewers are the same size.  This recipe would probably make 8 9 ½-inch bamboo skewers.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

Moroccan chicken with dates recipe (slow cooker version, too!)

Moroccan chicken with dates | Pamela Salzman

You all know I live in Southern California and perhaps you know we are having a very mild, but super dry winter.  We actually have a serious drought happening here.  And you might also know that 99% of my entire family lives in the New York/New Jersey area.  And they’re having a veerrryy different kind of winter.

prep the chicken

So most of our phone calls the last few weeks have been kind of like this:

Me: “Hi!  It’s me.  What’s new?”

Sister/Mother/Father: “It’s snowing.  AGAIN.  The kids are off from school.  AGAIN.  It’s absolutely freezing out there.  Seriously, this is the worst winter EVER!”

Me:  “Bummer.  But I asked, ‘what’s neeeewwww?'”

Same old, same old.  I miss the talks we used to have about currents events, movies, what we’re making for dinner, what we ate for lunch.  Interesting, riveting stuff.  Instead, it’s all blizzard all the time!  Thankfully, winter doesn’t last forever and they’ll all be able to get back to business before we know it.  Easy for me to say, I’m sure.

onion, carrots, coconut oil and spices

 

prepped

But if I were in the middle of a polar vortex, I would quickly buy a one-way ticket to L.A. I would make super-warming foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We may not be able to control the weather, but we can control the thermal nature of what we eat.  And I say, heat me up!  High on my list would be this Moroccan chicken with dates which I taught in my classes last February.  I know it seems like there are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but half of them are spices, all of which are warming to the body, and anti-inflammatory, too.  These spices, including ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin and a pinch of cayenne are also quite flavorful and make this otherwise simple chicken dish, something very special.  There’s also a little bit of sweetness from the cinnamon and from halved dates which rank as one of my favorite foods on the planet.  A little earthy, a little sweet, a touch spicy and a little tart — it’s one of my favorite chicken recipes!

slice open the dates to remove the pit

In these images, and for dinner last night, I served this with an apricot couscous (I’ll post the recipe next week.)  This will have a very tasty, but brothy sauce which just begs for something to sop it up.  Couscous, which is pretty dry, is the perfect side dish.  But you don’t need to make it with any seasonings or herbs.  Even plain would be just the right side for this dish.  Otherwise, if you’re gluten-free, steamed rice, quinoa or millet would be amazing here.  I also served it for dinner with simply sautéed Swiss chard, but check out this recipe for raw grated carrot and beet salad.  That would be fabulous, too.

bring to a simmer before added browne

add chicken to mixture

I have made this recipe in the slow cooker, as well.  Please read the directions for how to adjust this recipe for the slow cooker.  Both versions are amazing and will help warm up your core.  At least until the next snowfall or tomorrow, or both, as the case might be!

Moroccan chicken with dates | Pamela Salzman

 

Moroccan Chicken with Dates

Pamela, adapted from epicurious.com
5 from 9 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 ½ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken parts such as breasts (I like them split), thighs or drumsticks, seasoned with 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt when you get home from the market or brined for an hour (1/4 cup kosher salt + 2 cups water) EXCEPT if you use kosher chicken. See this post for how and why to brine chicken.
  • 1 Tablespoon unrefined coconut oil or olive oil
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and cubed
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon ground turmeric feel free to add more if you like it
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock
  • 5 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice divided
  • 12 dates pitted and halved
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro if you like it

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and add to the pot in one layer. Do not overcrowd. Cook until browned on the underside, then turn over and browned on the other side, about 15 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet or platter and repeat with remaining chicken if there’s some still left to do.
  • Add onions and carrots to the pot and sauté until tender and translucent, about 6 minutes.
  • Add cinnamon sticks, salt and remaining spices. Sauté about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  • Add stock, 3 Tablespoons lemon juice and dates. Deglaze the pan by scraping the brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, add chicken pieces back to pot skin-side up and cover. Lower heat and simmer until chicken is completely cooked through, about 40-45 minutes. An instant-red thermometer should read 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.
  • Add lemon juice to pot and stir to combine. If sauce needs thickening, transfer chicken to a platter and simmer sauce until it is reduced. Sprinkle everything with cilantro and serve.

Notes

SLOW COOKER VERSION:
Use bone-in, skinLESS pieces of chicken
Use a skillet to brown chicken, and sauté vegetables and spices.  Add only ¾ cup of stock to the pan and the same amount of lemon juice as in the original recipe to deglaze the pan.  Do not add the dates until 20 minutes before serving.
Transfer the browned chicken, and the vegetable, spice, stock and lemon juice mixture to the slow cooker and cook covered on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH 4-5 hours.
20 minutes before serving, stir dates into the slow cooker.  Add remaining lemon juice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

Mini Chicken Tostadas Recipe (vegetarian adaptable)

mini chicken tostadas | pamela salzman

You guys know I love watching football.  However, I’m not such a fan that I’ll watch just any game with teams that I don’t care much about.  So unfortunately for me, this has been a very boring season.  All the teams I root for didn’t make the playoffs.  And even the teams I root against didn’t make the playoffs, so I really had very little excitement this year.  But I still love having friends over on Sundays and I always have fun making tasty nibbles for everyone to enjoy during the games.  All is not lost.

Trader Joe's organic tortilla rounds

Since the Super Bowl is coming up, I know many of you will be hosting friends and family at your house or will be invited somewhere.  Now is the perfect time to figure out a few fun, easy and delicious game-day recipes.

slow cooker chicken taco meat

We always have a few people over for the Super Bowl – nothing big because otherwise my husband can’t “concentrate” (on the game, not in general.)  I usually keep a big pot of chili (see these recipes for vegetable chili, Southwestern turkey and black bean chili, and veggie-sweet potato chili) on the stove with a topping bar on the kitchen island and some cornbread.  I also will have either a taco bar or a baked potato bar as well.  It’s all easy, can be prepped in advance and I think most people like to customize their own meal.

top each tortilla round with a pinch of chicken

You must try these mini chicken tostadas!  My kids go crazy for them.  A tostada is a fried, whole tortilla topped with variety of goodies – shredded chicken or beef, refried beans, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, really whatever you would put on a taco.  I find tostadas a bit awkward to eat, but these mini ones are much less messy and they are still customizable.

top the chicken with a pinch of cheese

I like to bake my own tortillas to make chips, but only when I have time.  I’ll give you directions for how to make your own baked mini tortilla rounds for this recipe, but if you’re having a crowd, I would probably just go get the round, organic tortilla chips from Trader Joe’s or elsewhere.  Maybe less healthful than baking your own, but much easier if you have a lot of other things to do.  Make some chicken taco meat the day before either in the oven or the slow cooker and you’ve got a very easy crowd-pleaser!

bake until the chicken and cheese are warme

The way I like to make these is to put a pinch of chicken and cheese on each tortilla round and bake them for a few minutes or until the cheese melts a little and the chicken is warmed through.  But, if you make your chicken the same day and it’s still warm when you put it on the chip, it’s up to you if you still want to pop them in the oven.  Then just top them however you like.  I also make these vegetarian with refried beans instead of chicken.  Either way, they’ll be a winner!

mini chicken tostadas | pamela salzman

 

Mini Chicken Tostadas

Pamela
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 6 6- inch soft corn tortillas
  • unrefined olive oil for brushing tortillas
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken taco meat (click here for a slow cooker and oven version) or use 1 -2 cans of refried beans for a vegetarian version
  • 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese or Monterey Jack or cheddar
  • Additional toppings: guacamole salsa, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced scallions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if you have an aluminum or nonstick pan.)
  • Brush both sides of each tortilla with a little olive oil.  With a 2 ½-inch cookie cutter, try to cut 3 rounds from each tortilla.  You can bake the scraps to make crispy bits to top a salad or soup.
  • Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.  They will crisp up as they cool.  These can be made the day before and kept in a covered container at room temperature. Or, instead of making baked rounds, buy round tortilla chips.
  • When ready to serve, preheat oven once again to 375 degrees.  Put a pinch of chicken and a pinch of cheese on each.  Bake until chicken is warmed through.  Top with desired accompaniments.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

Chicken tikka masala recipe

chicken tikka masala | pamela salzman

Did you know that Chicken Tikka Masala is the most popular dish in Indian restaurants in the US and it’s not even Indian?  Nope, you won’t find families in India sharing Tikka Masala recipes because as the story goes, this dish was created in a London curry house.  Interesting, no?  Did you know I had the most difficult time trying to make this dish look appetizing in these photographs?  Just needed to get that off my chest.

marinate the chicken in yogurt

Regardless of what it looks like, I love this recipe and so does my family.  It is so full of flavor and very easy to make.  Chunks of chicken are smothered in a rich sauce of tomatoes, spices and some coconut milk to balance it all out.  Normally heavy cream is used in tikka masala, but coconut milk is the perfect substitute and I actually like it here better than cream.  Yum.  For you do-aheaders, you can make the masala sauce the night before and then cook the chicken right before dinner, heat up the sauce and you’re done!  Prepping in advance like that is my ace in the hole, allowing me to pull together a delicious and healthful dinner on a busy weeknight with no stress.  It’s like having a jar of tikka masala sauce from Trader Joe’s in the pantry.  But before you think about doing that, as much as I like Trader Joe’s, this sauce blows theirs away.   Fact.

garam masala and jarred tomatoes

We eat this with my Indian Basmati Rice and Peas recipe and a green vegetable, either green beans, spinach or even a green salad.  You can go even simpler by making some plain steamed rice and that is perfect here too.  The only ingredient you’ll need for this recipe that you might not have is garam masala, which is a sweet and spicy (not hot-spicy) spice blend that contains coriander, green and black cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, nutmeg, ginger, pepper, and cumin.  All awesome anti-inflammatory and warming spices which are great for your health and perfect for this time of year as the weather starts to cool off a bit.  Of course you can make your own by toasting the whole spices and grinding them up and I am sure that would make a world of difference in your cooking, BUT…I kind of don’t have time for that so I think store-bought garam masala is perfectly fantastic.  All the markets in my area carry garam masala, but you can order it here if you can’t find it.

garlic and ginger

 

stir coconut milk into the tomato-spice mixture

I am also very excited that my Whole Foods started carrying organic tomatoes in a glass jar by Jovial Foods.   Very excited!  Remember, canned tomatoes contain tons of BPA which is toxic, especially in large doses for kids.  You already consume BPA in places you can’t control (water, eating in restaurants), so try and avoid it when you can.  Unfortunately, I have yet to find a company that doesn’t use BPA in their canned tomatoes.  Pomi is what I normally use since the tomatoes are boxed in BPA-free tetra-paks, but the tomatoes are not organic.  Not ideal, but Pomi says they don’t use pesticides.  Anyhow, now my tomato dreams have come true with Jovial Foods and you can also find them on amazon.  Is there anything you can’t find on amazon?  Just a random thought.

broil the chicken, turning after 6 minutes

While we’re talking about making our lives easier, the classic way to make the chicken in tikka masala is to marinate it in yogurt, which tenderizes it, and then broil or grill it.  I know some of you are not going to want to use yogurt on chicken and I know others will not want to grill.  No problem.  If you want this to be authentic, you’ll follow the recipe.  If you’ve never had this before and won’t know the difference, by all means grill or roast plain chicken seasoned with salt and pepper or roast a whole chicken and cube up the meat.  The tikka masala police are not going to get you in trouble.  Can you tell I am giving you every excuse to make this??  Let me know if you do!

chicken tikka masala | pamela salzmam

chicken tikka masala | pamela salzman

 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Pamela, adapted from The Pioneer Woman
5 from 1 vote
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Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 Tablespoon sea salt divided
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ cup plain whole yogurt
  • 2 Tablespoons ghee clarified butter or unrefined coconut oil
  • 1 large onion finely diced (you can do this in a food processor)
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 2- inch piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons garam masala
  • 2 pounds fresh peeled and seeded tomatoes, diced (or the equivalent of boxed or jarred tomatoes, about 28 ounces)
  • 1 Tablespoon maple sugar coconut sugar or natural cane sugar
  • 1 cup coconut milk preferably full-fat (you can use the whole can if you want the sauce to be creamier)

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken in a dish.  Mix 1 teaspoon salt, coriander and cumin together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken breasts with spice mixture and pour the yogurt over the spiced chicken breasts.  Turn to coat well.  You can do this several hours in advance and refrigerate until ready to cook.
  • Preheat broiler to high and set the oven rack on the second level.  Line a baking sheet with foil.
  • Place a metal cooling rack on top of the foil-lined baking sheet and arrange the chicken on top of the rack. Broil for 5-7 minutes on each side until charred but not burned. Chicken should be cooked through.  Remove from oven and set aside.
  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the ghee. Add onions and cook until tender and slightly browned. Stir in garlic, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt and garam masala.
  • Add diced tomatoes and continue cooking and while scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add sugar, lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.  Pour in coconut milk.
  • Cut chicken into chunks (remember, it should be cooked through) and stir into sauce until heated through.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve with basmati rice.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

 

 

Baked Parmesan Chicken Caprese Recipe

baked parmesan chicken caprese | pamela salzman

I hope you all had a lovely Fourth of July and that you had a day off of work at the very least.  If there’s one thing I think many of us need more of it’s a little rest and relaxation.  We had a nice mellow day with friends and no work all day at all.  Nice.  In fact, I even watched a little tv while I was putzing around the house before going out.  Computer time has wiped out my tv time in the last few years, so watching tv is a real treat for me.  Although it’s funny that when I have time off from work (i.e. cooking), I choose to watch the Food Network or the Cooking Channel.  I have my favorites to be sure, but some of the really popular shows I just don’t get.

Can anyone explain the appeal of “Chopped?”  I’ll tell you one thing — it’s not “reality” tv.  What’s reality about being given a bunch of ingredients not normally found in a regular person’s pantry and being forced to have to make something tasty out of it given the resources of an unbelievably stocked pantry?  I have learned so much from watching Ina and Giada and Tyler, but there isn’t much I get out of seeing what three chefs can do with graham crackers and squid in 30 minutes.  Does that show talent?  What do you think?

Let me tell you what I think takes some skill — making dinner for my family on a typically insane weeknight.  You think the judges on Chopped are tough.  Ha!  They eat everything, even cheese, unlike Mr. Picky.    Try making dinner for Daughters #1 and 2 and Mr. Picky under a time constraint.  During the girls’ finals week earlier last month, I had a day that did not go as planned and I found myself in a dinner prep predicament.  We always eat dinner together every night around 6:30/6:45 and I thought this was one of those nights, but no.  Daughter #1 had a study group at 6:30 and Daughter #2 switched her music lesson without telling me and she would be coming home at 6:15.  I found all of this out at 4:30 and I had soccer carpool to do.  Oh sure, easy, right?

Do the contestants on Chopped have two teenage girls yelling at each other about the last ugly photo one posted of the other on Instagram?  They do not.  And Mr. Picky is not bouncing a basketball in the kitchen while the chefs are trying to figure out what to make for dinner very quickly with the contents of a very basic pantry.  Bounce, bounce, bouncety-bounce!  Ok, think.  Do some prep now, then you have 15 minutes when you get back from soccer drop-off before driving to music.  “But the picture you posted of me was much worse than the one I posted of you!”  Bounce, bounce, bouncety-bounce!  I have chicken, tomatoes, white rice is fast, thank goodness I washed lettuce yesterday.   “Mommmmmmm, did you see what she’s getting away with?  So many people liked that picture already!”  “Really?  They liked it?  That’s good, right?”  “OMG, Mom!  No they didn’t like it!  Make her delete it!”  Bounce, bounce, bouncety-bounce!  I can bread the chicken now and bake later.  “I am NOT letting her drive me to school anymore.”  Whoa there, missy.  Now you’ve got my attention.  “Delete it this minute!”  Bounce, bounce, bouncety-bounce!  “STOP PLAYING BALL IN THE HO– USE, MR. PICKY!!!!”  Can you imagine doing this sober?  Why don’t I drink?  I need to rethink that.

I know this isn’t just my house, or maybe it is and I am deluding myself.  But I think a lot of home cooks have skills that you just can’t learn in culinary school or by watching some pros on tv.  I managed to pull something together that night that we ate at exactly 6:15 and we all liked it!  I would have likely gotten “chopped” on tv for something so unoriginal, but this is the kind of food we like to eat and it’s reasonably healthful.  One of the reasons this worked for me that night is because I was able to bake the chicken instead of sautéing/frying it.  I didn’t know if it would work, but I learned the technique of getting crispy breading by greasing up the chicken with some fat before dredging it from an old Gourmet magazine recipe.  That way, I didn’t have to babysit it on the stovetop, plus baking is more healthful than frying and MUCH less messy!  This would also be a great method to use when cooking for a crowd.

Speaking of cooking for a crowd, for the next episode of “Chopped,” I’d like to see a challenge where the chefs have to prepare a dinner party for 12 guests in Los Angeles.  “Oh, sorry, no gluten for me.”  “If you don’t mind, I don’t eat dairy.  Or meat.  Or eggs.”  “I’m easy.  I eat everything except nuts.  I am deathly allergic to all tree nuts.  Deathly!”  Now that’s something I would watch!

 

Baked Parmesan Chicken Caprese

Pamela
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 4 -5

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 ball fresh mozzarella cubed (about 4 ounces), optional
  • 2 -3 Tablespoons unrefined olive oil plus more for coating chicken and pan
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 large leaves of fresh basil chopped
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt divided
  • 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup grated Pecorino-romano or Parmesan cheese
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a baking sheet generously with olive oil. You can line your baking sheet with parchment paper if you want and then brush the parchment with oil.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, mozzarella, 2-3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, basil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  • In a shallow dish (such as a pie plate), combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and paprika. In another shallow dish, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil.
  • Slice the chicken crosswise in half so that you have two thin cutlets. Check out this post for a visual on what I'm referring to. You can remove the tenders if you wish and coat those separately. Sprinkle one side of the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. This is the total amount of salt and pepper for all the chicken.
  • Dip the seasoned chicken first into the olive oil and turn to coat. Then dip chicken into the breadcrumb mixture and press to coat both sides completely.
  • Place the breaded chicken pieces on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Turn chicken with a spatula, not tongs which might break the breading, and bake another 3-5 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
  • Remove garlic cloves from tomato mixture and discard. Spoon tomato mixture on top of chicken.

Notes

This serves our family perfectly with no leftovers, but we're not big meat-eaters.  If one chicken cutlet is not enough per person, then increase the chicken and breading ingredients.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

 

Slow Cooker Pulled Barbecued Chicken

Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Chicken by Pamela Salzman

You’ve heard of Meatless Mondays and Taco Tuesdays, but in this house we’ve had “Slow Cooker Thursdays” for the last two months.  It doesn’t have the  same ring as the other two, but it has made my life way easier.  Mr. Picky had baseball games every Thursday (and Sunday) since March and they were conveniently scheduled at dinnertime.   Scrunchy face.  Picture hubby and me sitting at a little league game until 7:00 or 7:30 (gotta love extra innings!) while my daughters were texting me from home “We r starving!  When r u coming home?  Can we eat without u?”  Then of course I actually had to assemble dinner in record time once I finally returned home.  That happened once, until I figured out that Thursdays would have to be “Slow Cooker Night” unless I wanted to let the girls eat acai bowls for dinner (because that’s about all they would take the time to make even when “starving”) or allow Mr. Picky to eat hot dogs or microwaved canned chili on top of Fritos from the snack stand at the field. Um, no.

homemade BBQ sauce

I work really hard to make sure we eat together every night.  It’s actually more important to me than what we eat.  I’ve always said that breakfast might be the most important meal of the day from a nutritional perspective, but dinner is the most important from an emotional perspective.  However, getting the five of us at the table at a reasonable time for dinner can be a challenge, especially during Little League season.  And no matter how hard I tried to get Mr. Picky to find baseball boring, he just wouldn’t see it my way.  So if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em and that’s where I found myself every single blessed Thursday night.  Deciding to make something in the slow cooker on Thursdays was my ticket to freedom so I wasn’t stressed out every time a player was walked or someone got a hit, both of which keep the game going on and on and on.

Chicken, BBQ sauce and seasonings in the slow cooker

When I first started using this slow cooker in December, so many people asked me for good slow cooker recipes.  I was honestly surprised since one quick search on Foodily turned up thousands.  But as I’ve experimented, I have realized what everyone else already knows — that not every slow cooker recipe is a good one, and certainly not a healthful one.  Never said I was a quick learner!

shred the chicken in a separate bowl

add more BBQ sauce

I recently invested in the book, “Slow Cooker Revolution” by America’s Test Kitchen and it looks promising.  I tried their recipe for barbecued chicken and we all loved it!  I have been experimenting with making my own barbecue sauce and I’m super close to posting it, but not quite.  I did use one of my homemade BBQ sauce experiments and the chicken turned out super tender and flavorful.  We had it the first night on cracked wheat buns with homemade cole slaw — super delicious.  And the next day I put it into quesadillas for the girls’ lunch.  They asked for it again the day after that, but sadly it was all gone.

pour braising liquid in a fat separator

shredded chicken in bbq sauce | Pamela Salzman

I thought to share this recipe with you this week for a possible Father’s Day menu item or for a July 4th party.  It’s also a good time to remind you why grilled animal protein isn’t that good for you.  Check out an earlier post on that here.  Slow cooking with low heat cuts way down on carcinogens from forming.  It’s a win-win!  Even though Little League is over, my slow cooker is staying and so is this chicken!

shredded bbq chicken | pamela salzman

Slow Cooker Barbecued Pulled Chicken by Pamela Salzman

 

Slow Cooker Pulled Barbecued Chicken

Pamela, adapted from "Slow Cooker Revolution"
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat (or use all thighs)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle powder or cayenne
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ cups barbecue sauce

Instructions
 

  • Place chicken pieces in the slow cooker.
  • Mix together chili powder, paprika, chipotle powder, salt and pepper and rub all over chicken.
  • Pour ½ cup barbecue sauce over chicken and toss to coat.  Cover and cook until chicken is tender 4-6 hours on LOW.  (5 hours worked great for me.)  The slow cooker can also go to the WARM setting if you are not ready to eat the chicken after cooking 4-6 hours.
  • Transfer chicken to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.  With two forks, shred meat into bite size pieces, but not too fine.
  • Pour the liquid that remains in the slow cooker into a fat separator (or leave the liquid in the slow cooker and try to skim the fat off the top with a large spoon.)
  • Heat the remaining 1 cup of barbecue sauce in a small saucepan until hot.  Toss shredded chicken with hot barbecue sauce and 1 cup of braising liquid.  You’ll have extra liquid if you need it.  Serve warm either by itself or on toasted whole grain buns or in a quesadilla.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!